The positions Hearts need to strengthen as summer recruitment begins ahead of next season

Tynecastle club will sign several players this summer to improve different areas of their first-team squad.

Even if Hearts manage to overhaul Aberdeen and finish third in the Premiership, it will not mask the need for several summer signings. A few players are poised to leave Tynecastle Park over the coming weeks and replacements will be sought. Added to that, some areas of the team require extra strengthening.

Whether Steven Naismith remains manager for the 2023/24 campaign is an issue which, in all probability, won’t be decided for another few weeks yet. The need for squad reinforcements does not depend on who is in charge, though. Hearts will aim to finish third next season and want to promote more youth academy graduates to their senior squad.

More experienced figures will be necessary to form the core of the team, with younger players expected to perform more supplementary roles at least to start with. The Evening News has analysed the playing staff to look at some of the positions where Hearts are expected to bring in new faces.

Goalkeeper

This is not so much a necessity as a wait-and-see situation. Craig Gordon is pushing hard to recuperate from a double leg-break in time for pre-season training. At the age of 40, he will not last forever even with his remarkable powers of recovery and general sporting longevity. Zander Clark has produced many commendable displays as his deputy, with Ross Stewart the third-choice keeper.

Stewart’s contract is about to expire so Hearts may well need another back-up to Clark depending on Gordon’s recovery. Riccarton academy graduate Harry Stone is pushing for a first-team squad place, however the 21-year-old still lacks some experience and could find himself loaned out next year.

Right-back

Hearts players can expect several new signings over the summer regardless of who is manager.

Michael Smith has been the epitome of reliability for six years at Tynecastle, but he is now 34 with a contract due to expire. His time at Hearts may be coming to an end and he will certainly be missed as a stable and consistent influence should he depart. Nathaniel Atkinson has struggled to claim a regular first-team place this season so a new right-back over the summer seems a certainty.

Hearts tried to bring Callum Paterson back to Edinburgh in January but Sheffield Wednesday rejected their six-figure offer. He was earmarked for right-back or right wing-back in a move which proves Tynecastle officials feel there is a clear need to strengthen in that area.

Centre-back

Craig Halkett’s anterior cruciate ligament injury, like Gordon’s broken leg, was an absolute hammer-blow to Hearts’ season. His presence, physicality and dominance in the centre of defence is a key part of the team which then disappeared overnight when he limped off at Tannadice on Christmas Eve. Ironically, Gordon’s injury came in the same game. Provided he suffers no setbacks, he should be back for the start of next season but another centre-back is still necessary.

Left-backs Stephen Kingsley and Alex Cochrane ended up filling in at centre-back at different points of the current campaign, especially whilst Kye Rowles was injured. Toby Sibbick and Lewis Neilson are young and still developing, and the arrival of James Hill on loan from Bournemouth in January underlined the fact that Hearts felt they were short in that area.

No.10

Creative attacking midfielders, like strikers, often come at a premium cost and Hearts certainly need one. Barrie McKay’s excellent 2021/22 campaign gave way to a less spectacular 2022/23 but he often plays wider rather than the central No.10 position. Jorge Grant, who arrived last summer from Peterborough United, hasn’t nailed down that role either.

Lawrence Shankland’s performances as a deep-lying forward lend weight to theories that he is capable of operating to good effect in that area. He harbours the intelligence to find space and exploit it, although he is instinctively a striker by nature. He should get a chance to resume his partnership with fit-again Liam Boyce for next season. Josh Ginnelly could come into the equation at centre-forward, too, if he agrees a new contract.

Last week’s fine display by the Japanese forward Yutaro Oda against Ross County offered some hint that he may be able to fill a No.10 role for Hearts given his speed, quick feet and attacking instinct. He does tends to look more comfortable in a wider role out to the right but might be able to adapt given time.

Right midfielder/winger

Again, this might be a position which suits Oda in the long-term. If Ginnelly leaves, the only natural right winger on Hearts’ books would be Alan Forrest. The former Livingston player has struggled to command a regular starting berth since moving to Tynecastle last summer on freedom of contract. If teenager Finlay Pollock is fit, he has the potential to play regularly in this position but a more experienced campaigner is likely to required – particularly if Hearts find themselves competing for a sustained period of time in both the Premiership and Europe next season.

Left midfielder/winger

Gary Mackay-Steven’s foot and ankle injuries have wrecked his season and he is another one whose Hearts contract is due to finish in a matter of weeks. He is the only truly natural left winger on the Tynecastle payroll, so extra options in that department are essential. Oda is capable of playing wide on the left, however he has not been tried there in a maroon jersey so far. Wingers have frequently been a trademark at Hearts in years gone by so the recruitment of a left-sided one must be a priority this summer.